Can I Make It
by AmIValid
Summary: Mei Yo knew the stories of Ikebukuro as well as any other person. She knew the names of the people whom she needed to avoid, the colors of the gangs that she shouldn't associate herself with, and the places where most of the trouble happens. However, unlike most of the residents of Ikebukuro, there was no helping most of her involvement. ShizuoXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Mei Yo knew the stories of Ikebukuro as well as any other person. She knew the names of the people whom she needed to avoid, the colors of the gangs that she shouldn't associate herself with, and the places where most of the trouble happens. However, unlike most of the residents of Ikebukuro, there was no helping most of her involvement. ShizuoXOC **

The obviously dyed red-haired girl blew out a puff of smoke into the night air after inhaling the sweet bitterness of lit vanilla flavored tobacco. Her vibrant red hair tousled down her back, lifting as a breeze would make its way in between the two buildings' alley.

Her outfit consisted of a short black skirt and black heeled boots which she had placed beside her as she dangled her legs from her perch atop the large garbage can. Her shirt was a white, button-up blouse that had the first few buttons from the top undone and a loosened tie. A black waitress apron was tied around her waist. She had her eyes closed while she leaned back, one arm supporting her weight while the other held up her pipe. The red-head liked to think of herself as classy, at times.

She puffed once more before lifting her head at the sound of footsteps, her chocolate milk-colored eyes gazing at the figure. The person, obviously a male, was rather tall with blond hair and sunglasses. He sported a bartender suit, probably from working at the building opposite to the one she worked at. He stopped and leaned against the gate separating the alley from one of the roads, not allowing cars and the like to access the alley as means of a route. He dug into his pocket before fishing out a box of cigarettes, shaking one out of the box, and placing the rest back from where they came. The male then turned to the red-haired girl, "Do ya got a light?"

She stared at him for a second before a smile came to her face and she nodded. Reaching into one of the pockets of her apron, she pulled out a box of matches. "Is a match alright," she asked, holding them up so he could see.

The blond nodded his head before she tossed the matches to him which he caught with ease. Swiping one of the sticks against the card, a fire blazed to life, illuminating the male while he lit his cigarette before waving out the the dancing red and tossing her back her match box.

The two were quiet while they puffed on their tobacco, the air neither being awkward or agitating. The moments of silence was soon dealt with as the female spoke up, "So, do you work at that bar?" She motioned with her chin to the building opposite hers-the one she had been facing-.

He studied her for a moment, debating on whether to answer or not. He choose the former. With a nod of his head, he answered with a simple, "yeah."

Another moment of silence passed before she spoke up again, "What's your name?"

He sighed. He had rather much enjoyed the silence from before rather than the sudden interest in talking. "Shizuo Heiwajima. Yours?"

"Mei Yo. I work at this building here," she threw her thumb over her shoulder, pointing at the building. "It's this sort of restaurant-bar-show kind of thing. Real popular with males mostly, but it is family friendly."

Shizuo took one look at her uniform and instantly knew why it was so popular with guys. A short skirt like hers and a tight-fitting buttoned shirt would most definitely attract the eyes of males.

Mei received her phone from her pocket and flipped it open. Reading the time, she snapped it closed and placed it back into her apron. "Well," she sighed as she slipped back in her boots and zipped them up, "I have to go back to my shift. Break time is over."

She jumped down from her place on the bin, careful not to sprain her ankle or fall over. Re-buttoning her shirt and adjusting her tie, she emptied out her pipe before placing it back in her apron. She swept up her hair and placed it into the neatest bun she could muster before turning to the blond. "It was nice meeting you, Shizuo. I hope that we can talk again."

He nodded his head in reply as he watched her leave the alley and head back to work. He hadn't necessarily hoped they'd talk again, but he knew he wouldn't mind if it ever came down to it.

Returning back to her shift, Mei went back to work, much more at ease than before she had taken a small break. She had just returned to the back area after sitting down a table for two and taking their drink orders when one of the girls she knew, and recognized as the waitress for the sitting area at the rear of the restaurant, furthest from the show area, call Mei towards her.

She made her way towards the other waitress, "What's up, Aiko?"

The black haired girl fiddled with her fingers, "Um, do you see those men at table thirteen?"

Mei looked back and spotted a group of males varying in both age and size. She turned her brown orbs back to the girl in front of her, "What about them?"

"W-Well, they've been very... touchy... since I've sat them down and I've told them to stop, but they just keep d-doing it..."

The red head frowned as she looked back at them. Sighing, she turned to Aiko, "Alright, let's go see if we ask one more time if they'll stop."

The two waitresses made their way to the table, Mei taking the lead while Aiko followed after her. Once there, Mei made sure she had their attention before addressing the problem. "Excuse me, but this is a 'no harassment' zone. We'll kindly ask you to leave if you don't stop messing with our waitresses."

A bald man with a sun-wrinkled face chuckled, "But what if we don't want to leave, cherry?" The man then proceeded to sweep his hands across Mei's skirt.

Frowning, at both the nickname and the move he placed, she stepped out of his grasp, "We are asking you to please stop, otherwise we will have to evict you from the premises."

The group laughed, making no move to apologize or stop. Another figure stepped up to the table, this time it was the manager.

"Is there a problem," he asked. The manager, Ryou, was the owner's son, and like any manager, he had to dress the part. Wearing a nicely pressed, black business suit and dark brown hair slicked back, he looked very much as authoritative as he should.

Mei turned to the manager, "It seems that these gentlemen can't keep their hands off us waitresses."

The manager turned to the group, "Is that true? If it is, I am going to have to ask you to kindly stop harassing anyone here, or leave."

So, like any good manager should be, Ryou had a no tolerance for harassment and/or fighting. For anyone who didn't personally know Ryou like new employees or those who didn't work at the restaurant, they'd think he'd only want things out of benefit for the business. Which wasn't entirely true, nor was it completely false. He did have a very business-y air to him, but as Mei and Aiko knew, he truly did wish well for him fellow employees.

The group of men grumbled something before standing up and taking their leave. There wasn't any point of staying if they couldn't have fun.

Everything had settled down and Mei had apologized to her table for being so late as she handed them their beverages, allowing the refills and desert to be on the house. The rest of her shift until closing went off without a hitch. Tips were well earned and she, along with everyone else in the restaurant, was allowed to go home after dishes were washed, tables and floors cleaned, and goodbyes said.

It was well after midnight when Mei Yo had departed from work, hugging her coat close to her skin to be swallowed in the warmth and protected from the chilly air. It was times like these where the red-head wished she had a car, that way she didn't have to keep her aching feet from walking. She yawned tiredly as she wiped away sleep from her eyes.

She lived quite a ways away from work, but not too far that she'd want to catch the bus or train. Which would have been the smart thing to do seeing as Ikebukuro wasn't the most safe place at night. The thought that she could get hurt or kidnapped didn't occur to her often, only when she had just started working at the restaurant, but as time passed and nothing happened, the idea of something bad happening to her disappeared. Not that she wanted to be reminded of that, anyways.

Mei had been able to return to her complex safely. Jamming her key into the keyhole to her door, she swung the door open before stepping inside and shutting and locking it behind her. She took off her boots and relished by the way her feet were free, then dropped her coat and purse (which she had traded in for her apron) on her couch before shuffling to her bedroom. Unzipping her skirt and unbuttoning her shirt, she slipped out of her uniform and into her pajamas.

As much as she thought she needed a shower, Mei was far too tired to take on, opting for sleeping instead. So sleep is what she got, but not before she received a text. With an exasperated sigh, she heaved herself out of bed and over to the living room where her purse contained her phone. Fishing it out, she padded back over to her bed and got comfy.

Flipping open her phone, eyes squinting from the sudden exposure of light, her fingers worked on retrieving the message. The message was from an unknown number, definitely one she didn't recognize.

She scanned the text:

**[RECEIVED- Unknown]**

_ Tick Tock Goes The Clock_  
_Message In A Bottle, Unprotected_  
_What Secrets Lie Inside? _

Mei stared perplexed at the message. They must have gotten the wrong number. She didn't have any secrets to hide. She never lied about her identity. There was no reason to As far as she knew, she could be truthful about pretty much everything. Deciding that they had been pranking her, or gotten the number mixed up, she was going to pay no mind to it.

Not until she got another text.

**[RECEIVED-Unknown]**  
_A Wolf Afraid Of A Lamb?_  
_Pursuer Afraid Of The Victim?_  
_Mei Yo Afraid Of Children In The Water _

But maybe... There was one thing she had kept hidden. One thing not many know, only those who bear witness to would. She'd nearly forgotten, but now it was coming back.

The red-head clenched her teeth as she stared at the phone.

**[RECEIVED-Unknown]**  
_E.C.R_


	2. Chapter 2

Mei Yo frowned as she yanked her brush through her bright red hair. She had dreamed of herself being underwater while screams echoed in her ears, her hands grasping for something solid to hold on to. Red hair had danced across her vision, her thoughts instantly portraying it as blood.

Mei muffled a cuss word as she brushed through a knot, the pain zipping its way from her scalp to her throat. Sighing, she threw the brush onto the sink counter of her bathroom and stared at her reflection. Her chocolate milk-colored eyes danced upon her features, taking in her light toned skin, freckles that dotted across her nosed and danced on her cheeks. She stared a little longer before tearing her gaze away and splashing her face with warm water.

After her usual morning remedies of bathing, brushing her hair and teeth, and picking out her clean work uniform, she prepared herself her usual breakfast of steamed rice, miso soup, and *tamagoyaki. Brewing herself hot water for her tea, she quickly set to work on putting on her uniform.

After returning from that, she prepared herself her breakfast and sat down to eat it.

It wasn't long before she finished, placed the dishes in the sink to be washed later, and headed out the door to go to work. The restaurant had long working hours: from 9:00 a.m. to a little after midnight. However, because of that, the workers were given a lot of break shifts. The time for each break shift varied.

As Mei arrived to the restaurant, her eyes drifted over to the bar next door. Her thoughts were then surrounded by the blond bartender she had met the other night, a small smile playing on her lips from the memory.

He was definitely an attractive man. He was tall, handsome, and seemingly the silent type. But could a man as lanky-like as him be strong?

_Shizuo Heiwajima..._

Entering the restaurant, she traded in her purse for her apron and set all the necessary tools in the pockets, as well as her phone, pipe, and matches-though she did make sure she had her vanilla flavored tobacco-. It was already halfway through the day and she had been called over to seat another guest. Arriving at the entrance, she was greeted with the sight of a tall, blond man in a bartender suit and shades. She grinned before taking a menu and leading him to a table.

"Guess you couldn't wait to see me, neh?" She gave a light laugh as she allowed him to sit down at one of the seats.

A frowned made its way to Shizuo's face, "I'm just buying my time before my shift starts."

"It's okay. You don't have to deny wanting to see me," she teased, a grin growing wider. Before he could comment on her annoyance, she continued, "Besides that, what would you like to drink?"

Shizuo pressed his lips together, slowly allowing his annoyance to disappear before he replied, "Milk is fine."

Mei nodded as she wrote down the simple order on her notepad, "Alright, I'll get that for you right away." Throwing him one last smile, she headed over to the back area to retrieve his drink.

There, she saw Aiko and another waitress, a long brown-haired girl by the name Yuki, talking and peeking around the closed area to the customers. Mei giggled, "What are you two doing?"

Aiko and Yuki both blushed when they realized they were being addressed for their actions.

"U-Uh," Yuki stammered, "T-There's just this c-cute guy, uh, that's here and we just... kinda think he's really good looking."

Aiko's face reddened even more as she nodded in agreement.

This piked Mei's interest. "Who's the guy?"

They pointed over to a guy sitting in a group of what seemed to be friends. He had long brown hair, and he radiated sunshine. Mei could definitely see why they were so flustered over him. "You should definitely get his number," she smirked.

The two girls blushed and shook their heads. "He has a boyfriend," Aiko commented.

That had not been an answer Mei was expecting. Looking back to the guy, she realized something. They weren't all just friends, the group was a sort of triple date. Mei's cheeks were shaded with red as she turned back to the waitresses. "Oh."

Yuki nodded, "Oh..." Sighing, she grabbed drinks and placed them on a tray, "Well, it seems us ladies are going to be single as long as there are cute guys in the world, because cute guys only go after other cute guys." With that, she departed back into the seating area to serve the drinks.

Aiko did the same, but before she left, she added, "That, or they go for the girls that look like models."

Now, neither three of the waitresses were bad looking. In Mei's eyes, both Aiko and Yuki were extraordinarily beautiful. They both had flawless skin and never left the house with bad hair. Aiko was all about the curves, while Yuki had the average body, but she was absolutely gorgeous without the need for big boobs or a big butt.

Grabbing a glass and bottled milk, she poured the white liquid contents into the glass before placing it on the tray and heading back to Shizuo. She handed him the drink which he accepted with a 'thank you'.

"Would you like anything else?" Mei asked as she tucked the tray underneath her arm and grabbed her notepad and pen.

Shizuo took a sip at his milk before replying, "No, I'm good. Thanks."

Mei nodded, "Well, if you need anything else, I'll be coming around every so often. And, also, you have a little milk on your lip." With that and a giggle, she walked off.

The blond, of course, just frowned and wiped it off with the back of his hand. The place was, indeed, a restaurant-bar-show thing she had described. At the very head of the building was a stage where different acts of all sorts went on and performed, and to the far right was the bar. Shizuo could only assume that the kitchen was behind the bar since there was a little box room that opened to the seating area and some back area where food was brought through along with the drinks to the far end of the bar, close to the doors leading outside.

He watched as Mei went back and forth from table to table and then kitchen. She sat people down, and she delivered their food and drinks. She was pretty, Shizuo admitted, but not his type. Not to mention her personality was as loud as her hair.

After a while, Mei went back to the table that Shizuo had been situated. "So, was there anything else you'd like? A refill, perhaps?"

Shizuo glanced at his almost empty glass, "Yeah... That's it."

Mei gave him a look, "Your bones must be pretty damn healthy if all you want is milk. All you need now is spinach and you can be Popeye."

The reference to strength wasn't pleasing to the blond bartender. He, himself, was unnaturally strong. He even thought himself a monster. She'd probably would too if she ever found out.

Mei must have felt Shizuo's inner conflict because she was suddenly shifting, "Uh... So just milk?"

Shizuo's teeth clenched for a second, then un-clenched. "Yeah. Just milk."

The red-head gave him an awkward smile before scurrying off to the back room and refilling his glass. The sudden shift in his mood and definitely got to her, and she didn't know why he suddenly became all gloomy and such. Perhaps she had said something to tick him off? Mei didn't think that could be it. She couldn't find anything that she had said to be offensive.

Returning to his table, she set the drink down. "Here ya go... Um, when does your shift start at the bar?"

The blond calculated the amount of time he had left, "'Bout five minutes. I didn't want to arrive to early, just in case they thought I'd come in like that all the time."

Mei rolled her eyes and snorted, "Because going into work early one time is going to affect how you go into work everyday."

Shizuo allowed a lopsided smile, a small chuckle seep past his lips.

Mei Yo had never felt her heart leap so hard in her life. She swore she could hear angels sing and a white light surround the man in front of her, dowsing him in majestic-ness. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, blood rushing in her ears, and her heart pounding hard in her chest.

_Damn these feelings. Cute boys are terrible. They can not be trusted with their hot smiles and cute laughs._

The red-head couldn't help the upward turning of the sides of her lips. "Hey," she drawled out in an upbeat manner, "you have a really nice smile. You should do it more awesome."

Shizuo didn't know how to reply. He didn't always smile or laugh, but he didn't not do it. Though, the fact that she had replied so happily doing so, sent a foreign feeling rush through him. It was a good feeling. It made him feel... human.

Before he could reply someone's voice cut through the air, "Mei, you have a table to sit!"

Mei sighed, then looked at Shizuo with a smile, "Well, that's my cue. I'll be over in a sec with your tab."

Once she sat her table down and had their drinks served, she walked back over to the tall blond, handing him what he owed. He had already gotten his wallet out and gotten the cash he guesstimated he owed.

He handed her the bills, "Thanks again. It's a... nice place."

"The manager would love to hear that," she lilted.

He hummed in acknowledgement. "I gotta get going," he stood and nodded his head in farewell.

"Bye," she said, watching him leave before getting back to work.

She was soon pulled aside by Aiko and Yuki, who both had a determined look on their face.

"Who was that~," Aiko asked, her eyebrows waggling.

Mei smiled, "A guy."

"Ah-huh," Yuki hummed, "But what guy."

Mei shrugged, "Just a friend, I guess you could say."

"And what's his name?"

"Shizuo."

Aiko's smile slowly slipped from her face. "Shizuo... Heiwajima?"

Mei cocked her eyebrow at her friend, "You know him?"

"Like hell I'd want to know him. He's a freakin' psychopath. We went to the same school during Jr. high and high school."

Yuki was confused as well, "What do you mean he's a 'psychopath'?"

Aiko shook her head, "He's a monster! Haven't you ever heard of the rumors of some crazy strong dude that goes rampant?"

Mei and Yuki nodded their heads.

"Well," Aiko sighed, "That's him. I didn't recognize him at first because he had brown hair in middle school when I was placed in the same class as him. We got split during high school. Not that I mind. I never wanted to be around that freak."

Mei frowned. It was rather... rude, to call him all those names. He'd been nothing but nice- in his own way- since she met him. Sure, she noted that he became annoyed rather easily, but he didn't lash out or give her any reason to fear him.

Yuki bit her lip, "So... if that's the guy I've heard from the rumors," she turned to Mei, "then I don't think you should hang out with him anymore. I heard he hurt a lot of people and caused a lot of damage."

"How scary to think they'd let someone like him roam the streets," Aiko added.

Mei didn't know how to respond. A ball of guilt had formed from talking so ill about him behind his back, but she had mixed feelings of repulsion and wanting to agree with what her friends were saying. "Oh..."

"If you're ever around him, just be careful," Aiko concluded before returning to serve the customers.

Yuki nodded before doing so, as well.

Should Mei be cautious of him? Should she think him a monster as well? But, couldn't she also considered being a monster too?

Flashes of her dream came back and she frowned. It wasn't her fault what happened.

Maybe... Maybe it wasn't Shizuo's fault for what he did.

The red-head sighed and rubbed at her eyes. She just wished that she could take a nap.


End file.
